SwitchedOn Australia

Two years ago Brody Kenrick embarked on a journey to not just make his late 60s house carbon neutral, but carbon negative. He wanted to make sure his own house had zero carbon emissions and also displace emissions from the grid. Since upgrading his own home Kenrick has also decarbonised his son’s preschool, his parents’ house, and his in-laws. They all now make big savings on their energy bills. While he admits being a trained electrical engineer and tech savvy has been an advantage, and he and his wife were fortunate to have the upfront capital, Kenrick says many of the energy upgrades they did can be achieved by other people. He hopes his house will be a ‘proof of concept’ for others who want to electrify and decarbonise.

Sarah Aubrey lived in her federation house in the inner west of Sydney for 12 years before she embarked on her electrification journey. By then she was fed up with being cold in winter and paying ever increasing energy bills. So she ditched the gas, went fully electric and efficient, and now uses a quarter of the electricity she used to.

When it comes to electrification everyone’s situation is different, and whilst many people are curious about home electrification, others are disinterested or hesitant – it’s seen as too complex, too costly, and too hard to find someone you can trust to do the work. Which is why the Victorian Government announced plans to roll-out ‘one-stop-shops’ that will help householders get accurate information, connect them with accredited installers and products, and apply for government rebates and incentives. Last year the Victorian government relaunched the State Electricity Commission, with a renewables reboot. As well as ramping up renewable generation and storage, the SEC has been tasked with supporting the switch to all-electric households. The partnerships manager at the SEC, Jess Christiansen, discusses how the roll-out of ‘one-stop-shops’ is progressing.

Amandine Denis-Ryan, CEO of the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, talks about Australia's ongoing reliance on fossil gas despite the need for a green transition. She stresses the urgency of developing a nationwide electrification plan and critiques the government's focus on gas usage extending beyond 2050. The conversation reveals how misinformation from the gas industry hinders progress and emphasizes the need for improved energy policies that promote electrification for both economic benefits and sustainable living for all Australians.

Alastair Matcott, from Green Energy Trading, worked on an advocacy project that provided free energy audits and free renewable energy upgrades for private renters and investors. But it failed because they were completely stonewalled by every real estate company and industry body they encountered. It’s left Alastair thinking the only way to deal with the split incentive between landlords and tenants is to mandate minimum energy standards for rental homes.

It’s estimated the healthcare industry contributes around 7% of Australia’s carbon emissions, with hospitals being the biggest carbon emitters in the sector. Hospitals run 24/7 energy-intensive operations for heating, cooling, lighting and to power all that medical equipment. A new campaign led by health care workers and medical groups is calling on the federal government to kick start what will be a marathon to electrify Australia’s 700 odd public hospitals. They’re proposing the government fund a feasibility study to retrofit and electrify nine of Australia’s existing public hospitals. Ursula Alquier is the Healthy Hospitals Campaigner for Health Futures, the not-for-profit social enterprise behind the proposal.

With around a third of our homes now sporting a solar array, Australia leads the world by far in solar installations. Recent research has looked at what makes people install solar and found some very surprising factors. Postcodes with higher rates of unemployed have higher rates of rooftop solar, for instance, and the more solar panels you see in your neighbourhood, the more likely you are to install them yourself. Kaveh Khalilpour is one of the report’s researchers and an Associate Professor in Engineering at the University of Technology in Sydney.

Australia is generating more energy on rooftops than from coal and gas plants, and the industry is betting on virtual power plants (VPPs) to harness this power for the grid. VPPs work by coordinating solar panels, batteries, and other small energy resources to function as one large, flexible power source. But many consumers are reluctant to join one. James Sturch is a Technical Director at Solar Edge, and he warns that VPPs are set up to fail unless the energy system changes. Whilst governments and industry push for consumers to join VPPs, he argues the system itself creates roadblocks and disincentives. So, what needs to change to make VPPs work for everyone? For more information about electrification and energy efficiency https://onestepoffthegrid.com.au

Rosemary Grundy has done a detailed analysis of how long it will take to get a return on her investment in renewables. From the day she moved into her new house in December 2021, she’s diligently recorded how much she saves from not using fossil fuels, and how much she pays for electricity, and calculated that she’ll break even on her solar panels, batteries, and two electric vehicles in just under 9 years. Rosemary is now developing a break-even calculator to help other householders work out when they’ll break even on their renewable investments, and is on a mission to show Australians who have the financial capacity, that making the transition to renewables is not only good for the climate, it makes financial sense. For more information on Rosemary's original break-even analysis: https://switchedon.reneweconomy.com.au/content/breaking-even-on-2-teslas-solar-panels-and-batteries-in-just-over-8-years For her update: https://onestepoffthegrid.com.au/residential-renewables-can-pay-for-themselves-before-they-reach-their-end-of-life/ For more information about electrification and energy efficiency: https://onestepoffthegrid.com.au

Devrim Celal, Chief Marketing and Flexibility Officer at Kraken, offers insights into the pivotal role of consumer trust in the energy transition. He discusses how Octopus Energy Group has become a leader in green energy by sharing innovative technologies like Kraken. The conversation highlights the need for incentives to engage consumers in balancing electricity supply and demand. Celal also emphasizes the importance of flexible electric vehicle charging and personalized energy services for enhancing consumer satisfaction and participation in a sustainable electricity system.